Mana Sanat Afagh has introduced PICS (Precision Ink Control System), a programmable approach to controlling ink transfer on two-piece aluminium beverage-can decorators.

The system was developed to answer a practical question: how ink transfer can be controlled more precisely across the width of a decorator’s inking system. It brings together three elements developed by the company: a seven-segment ductor roller mechanism, proprietary Ink Calculator software that works out the settings for each segment, and an electronic control processor that manages the mechanism.

The company says getting from concept to a working prototype has taken several years, covering mechanical design, manufacturing drawings, software and electronic control development, and construction of the prototype itself.

The functional prototype has been built with a focus on Rutherford decorators, and a version engineered for Concord inker systems is in development.

PICS has progressed through the domestic patent process, and the related international PCT application has been published as WO2025074189.

It is the first technology Mana Sanat Afagh has introduced publicly. The company is inviting written enquiries from canmakers, decorator manufacturers and potential industrial partners interested in a non-confidential introduction, via LinkedIn messaging.